At a dollar or less a box in my area pasta is a great way to add something filling to your meal without spending a lot of money. I always like to have a few jars of pasta sauce in my pantry.

Peanut butter is an absolute staple in our home. Again, buy the store-brand or use coupons for the more expensive stuff. Canned tomatoes are definitely an important pantry staple. I use them the most often for recipes like Taco Soup.

Nothing like a bowl of cereal when you need a quick meal, am I right? And it beats ramen noodles in my opinion!

Not all cereal is cheap of course, but if you look for the store-brand you can always find some varieties that are very inexpensive. Store-brand pretzels are relatively cheap sometimes just a dollar for a bag and make a great snack option, especially if you have kids.

A well-stocked pantry should always include some basic baking goods like:. Make those inexpensive chicken thighs taste extra good by using some basic, inexpensive spices like chili powder, garlic powder, etc. And a hanging spice rack like this is great for storing them!

Now what? You may also be interested in: How to Meal Plan on a Tight Budget. Note: Grocery prices are constantly changing, so some of the prices in the articles below have already changed. However, all of these meal plans are very frugal, even with rising prices.

Want to get better at meal planning regularly? Check out my Meal Planner and Recipe Binder. What are some of your favorite cheap foods to buy on a budget? Any favorite recipes? Please share in the comments! Looking for more ways to save at the grocery store?

Check out this post for 15 ways to save money on groceries! This is a great post! I am a big fan of understanding the sales cycles at the grocery store. However, I love that you could follow your guide here without really needing to worry about the sales.

Great tips! These are all excellent ideas! This week we were low on grocery shopping funds and I am doing a few BRINNERS breakfast for dinner.

Stuff like pancakes and eggs. That type of stuff is affordable. I agree buying a whole chicken is cheaper, I also like to use the meat for chicken pot pie, fajitas, enchilads, quesadillas, soup, chili.

There are so many great ways to use chicken meat by just taking the time to cook a whole bird. Even using your crockpot can be a huge time saver. Good list here. We use a lot of beans and lentils and these really help the grocery budget stretch.

You basically wrote out my typical grocery list! Great post, cuz! Great list! Feeding boys is expensive 😉. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign me up for your emails! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Apples Apples are one of the cheaper fruit options and are one of the staple favorite foods in our home. Bananas Bananas are another inexpensive fruit option. Frozen Vegetables Frozen green beans, peas, etc.

Carrots Carrots are a staple around here. Healthy and cheap, they make the perfect snack! Lettuce Buy it uncut and unwashed if you want to save money! Thankfully they are very economical. Potatoes I generally find that a big bag of Russet potatoes is the cheapest option. Whatever fresh vegetables are on sale Check the ad for your local store to see what fresh produce is on sale!

Whole Chicken Cooking a whole chicken and deboning it is a bit of extra work but it will save you money on your groceries! Chicken Breasts Chicken breasts are not the cheapest cut of chicken but if you stretch them ie: one chicken breast cut up with tons of veggies for stir fry they can be quite cost effective.

Chicken Thighs Chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks are usually pretty inexpensive and are very flavorful. Canned Tuna Who else grew up eating tuna fish sandwiches? Smoked Sausage Smoked sausage is a great meat to keep on hand for quick meals.

Eggs Eggs can be a great cheap source of protein. Lentils Again, another great, cheap protein option! Brown Rice Brown rice is a great alternative to white rice with a lot of health benefits and is still a great cheap food.

Bread While the very cheapest bread is not going to have the most nutritional value, watch for markdowns on nicer loaves made with whole grains.

Tortillas Store-brand tortillas are typically pretty inexpensive and you can use them for all sorts of meals. Pasta At a dollar or less a box in my area pasta is a great way to add something filling to your meal without spending a lot of money.

chicken legs and chicken thighs — Bone-in chicken legs and thighs tend to be the most affordable cuts of chicken.

Compare prices at the store though! I have seen situations when the boneless skinless breast was cheaper than chicken legs or quarters. Consider it as a viable option for soups, casseroles, and Chicken Salad Sandwiches.

ground turkey — While ground beef is super easy to stretch, the price of beef can be too high for many budgets. Ground turkey is a nice alternative, but make sure that the only other ingredient besides turkey is rosemary extract. This will ensure a very fresh clean flavor and not that weird ground turkey thing that turns people off.

canned tuna — Widely available and generally affordable, canned tuna has been a good cheap eat for generations. sausage — Bacon may be your preference, but bacon prices probably are not. Consider sausage as a more affordable alternative to bacon.

You can find it in all kinds of flavors, including turkey, pork, and even plant-based options. ham — Like its fresh pork counterpart, ham is going to be the more affordable lunch meat.

marked down meats — Depending on where you shop, you may be able to keep any meat you like on the table by purchasing marked down meats. Talk to your butcher about their manager specials and when they sell those items at a discount.

Use or freeze these cuts prior to their best-by dates. It can be fried, scrambled, grilled, baked, and even worked into smoothies.

peanut butter — Peanut butter is another affordable plant protein, one of those budget foods that can jazz up smoothies, breakfast toast, and baked goods.

protein powder — While you might not consider protein powder a budget food, it can boost your baked goods and smoothies with protein that might be harder to come by otherwise. Grains such as white rice, brown rice, oats, and pasta are cheap and filling. You will often, but not always, find the best deal in the bigger bags of grains.

Be sure to store them in airtight containers to prevent food waste. rice — Rice is key for breakfast, lunch, or dinner: in Cream Of Rice , Vegetable Fried Rice , or as a base for bowl meals.

Rice is one of those no-brainer budget foods to add to your list of pantry staples. oats — Use oats for Baked Oatmeal Cups, as oatmeal, or in granola. They are a powerhouse of fiber and super cheap to buy.

It makes for a good cheap eat any night of the week. Ditch the msg-laden seasoning packet and make your ramen something more.

The noodles are super cheap and quick to fix. tortillas — You can do so many things with tortillas: pizza! and enchiladas! They are definitely a great addition to your budget grocery list. There are so many things to do with flour! Bake bread, rolls, pizza, and so much more. Flour is a must-add to your budget grocery list.

Baking at home is fun and can save you a lot of money compared to commercial or more expensive bakery items. Keep these grocery items on hand:. sugar — Since baking your own is almost always cheaper than buying it pre-made, have some sugar on hand.

baking soda — Likewise with the leavening. salt — Salt is a necessary nutrient for life, but also a great seasoning for meat, veggies, and baked goods. baking powder — Baking powder is required for a number of baked goods, but remember you can make your own baking powder if need be.

dry active yeast — Store bread is pricy, unless you buy it on clearance. Baking your own bread is the way to go! Start with something easy like Everything Hamburger Buns and work yourself up to a sandwich loaf, like Sourdough Rye Bread.

Shopping in the snack aisle can jack your bill up tremendously. Avoid impulse purchases and make your own snacks and treats at home. popcorn — Popcorn is a great snack that costs just a few pennies per serving! You can even make your own microwave popcorn.

This caramel corn recipe is currently on repeat at my house. Raisins and dried cranberries are generally affordable and a little goes a long way.

saltine crackers — Many crackers can be incredibly expensive, but soda crackers are long lasting and generally the cheapest on the shelf. Fresh fruit and veggies are an important component to a healthy diet. You can often find good deals on fresh produce if you buy items that are in season.

Remember canned or frozen fruit and veggies are a great option as well. canned crushed tomatoes — Crushed tomatoes are a key component in Marinara Sauce.

Why buy canned pasta sauce when you can make your own in minutes. canned tomato paste — Likewise, tomato paste is an important ingredient to pizza sauce which is so much more affordable to make at home. canned tomato sauce — Having canned tomato sauce on hand makes for easy soups, stews, casseroles, and pasta dishes.

cabbage — Cabbage is one of the longer lasting vegetables. Whether you buy it shredded or whole, make sure cabbage is on your budget grocery list. bananas — A nutrient-dense food, bananas are great for snacking, for homemade baby food, for baking, and for smoothies.

carrots — Another long lasting vegetable that is generally affordable, carrots are a staple to keep on hand for snacks, roasting, baking, and soup-making.

They generally last long and can be used in so many dishes. celery — One of the main components in stir-fries, veggie platters, and mirepoix, celery is typically a good cheap eat that will last you awhile in the fridge.

onions — Onions are a building block of almost any savory recipe. Buy them in bulk, and load up when you see a sale. garlic — Garlic packs a lot of flavor for a small price. It comes in a number of forms. Compare prices to see what works best for you.

Even garlic powder can come in handy. fresh citrus — Prices of citrus will vary throughout the year, but having a lime, lemon, or orange on hand can add acidic flavor to any number of dishes. Watch prices and when you see them on sale, enjoy!

fresh green chiles — Buy your chiles fresh instead of canned to add heat to your cooking while spending less money. Focus on in-season, on-sale vegetables whenever possible. Green peppers are usually cheaper than red or yellow, but you may see sales on a regular basis.

Watch for marked down produce as well. frozen vegetables — In lieu of fresh, on sale veg, stock up on frozen vegetables. They are generally just as nutritious as fresh and the prep work is already done for you! applesauce cups — Apples have become rather pricey of late, and while homemade applesauce is the better item, it can be expensive.

canned pumpkin — Available all year round, canned pumpkin can be used in sweet and savory. potted herbs — Fresh herbs can elevate a dish like nothing else. Growing your own herbs is a great way to do it! Cooking at home is often the best thing you can do to save money on food.

Having a pantry stocked with basic staples will make it easier for you to cook at home. If you just need a few teaspoons, head to a natural foods store and buy just what you need from their bulk jars. neutral cooking oil — While olive oil adds great flavor to sautes and salads, it does bring some flavor with it.

vinegar — Vinegar brings much needed acid to sauces, dressings, and marinades. ketchup — Keep to the standards when it comes to condiments, like ketchup. You can make spicy ketchup yourself.

Frozen mixed vegetables are great to have on hand for casseroles, stir fry, fried rice, or a quick and easy side dish. Spinach is an excellent versatile green. You can eat it as a salad, in a soup, blended in a smoothie, sautéd with eggs, or on top of a sandwich. I often sing the praises of how economical a whole chicken is.

Watch my video and read my post on how I get multiple meals from one chicken. It is a great way to stretch your food. Not only do you get the meat, you also get the bones to make broth! As far as beef goes, ground will be your most budget friendly option.

To get the best price, wait for it to go on sale and stock up on the sale price. Chicken thighs are one of my favorite meats. They don't dry out as easily as breasts and they are more flavorful in my opinion.

Try my grilled chicken thighs or sheet pan herb roasted chicken thighs with vegetables. Out of all of the cuts of chicken, drumsticks are probably the cheapest. They are also very kid friendly. Try my oven baked bbq chicken legs for a great cheap meal.

Pork is often less expensive than beef and is very delicious. I often find large pork roasts on sale for a great price which can be stretched for multiple meals.

Also pork chops often go on sale which are great for grilling or for skillet pork chops. Canned tuna is great for tuna salad, but there is so much more you can do with this frugal protein. Canned salmon for salmon patties was a frugal staple in my childhood home.

When we were broke, we ate salmon patties and I think they are delicious! Eggs are an excellent cheap protein source and incredibly versatile. Hard boiled, soft boiled, poached, fried, scrambled for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Make a vegetable frittata or egg casserole. Make a fried egg sandwich, French toast, or egg salad.

Even if you buy high end eggs, they are still one of the least expensive protein sources around, second to legumes. If you enjoy them, lentils should be in every frugal pantry. They are high in fiber and full of nutrition. They are great in soup, sloppy Joes, curries, and my favorite lentils and rice.

White beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, black beans are all super cheap and a definite buy if you are on a budget.

I love a big pot of slow cooker pinto beans and cornbread. Total comfort food and ultra cheap. Dry beans are more economical than canned, but they do require some time to prepare. Read: WAYS TO USE LEFTOVER BEANS.

For emergencies and when you need something super fast, canned beans should be another cheap pantry staple. You can make inexpensive crispy black bean tacos or chickpea curry. Both are very delicious and frugal.

Read: 30 AWESOME RECIPES WITH BEANS. There's a reason why when people talk about cheap food they call it a rice and beans budget. Rice is very inexpensive and filling. It is also extremely versatile. Read: 20 DELICIOUS RECIPES USING RICE. Oatmeal is a very inexpensive breakfast option and much cheaper than cereal.

I also love making oat muffins for snacks or breakfast. Pasta is the ultimate cheap food and also great for beginner cooks. It can be as simple as buttered noodles, pasta with peas and bacon , or paired with pasta sauce. Pasta sauce also is a great cheap food to have on hand for a quick and easy meal with pasta.

Eat it meatless, with poached eggs, or chickpeas for a very frugal meal. This is more of a southern food, but grits are very cheap and stretch a long way. It makes for a cheap breakfast item or inexpensive side dish. Cornmeal is great to have for homemade cornbread, breading foods, or corn cakes.

I don't often use cornmeal in my kitchen, but it is very inexpensive and deserves its place on the cheap grocery list. Corn tortillas are an inexpensive alternative to flour tortillas.

Use them in enchiladas , tacos, or slice them and crisp them up for tortilla soup. Canned tomato products come in so handy. Tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and tomato puree are all very versatile and inexpensive. You can make a pasta sauce, pizza sauce, put it in a soup, or make sloppy Joes.

I always have a couple of varieties in my pantry. In fact, Market Basket has more weekly sales on meat than most other grocery stores.

This is a good place to buy many but not all household items at good prices. Pay attention to the price per ounce when stopping at warehouse stores. If you do, you can regularly find good deals. There are Costco locations in cities in 48 states as of April Another favorite warehouse club of many people is Costco.

There are 7, Dollar Tree locations in 3, cities in 49 states as of March Dollar stores can be an excellent option to save money on groceries, if you pay attention to the products available. Since Dollar Tree locations are in more places than even Walmart, it is very easy to find a location near you.

Pay attention to the name brands and generics at the Dollar Tree, as well as the sizes and packages. Many times they are, but pay attention to the ounces per package to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Food selection does vary by location so try out different locations to see what is available. Some Dollar Trees have a large refrigerated and freezer section which can have great deals on grocery items like turkey bacon and egg rolls.

There are countless locations in countless cities in all 50 states since Amazon delivers almost everywhere! Did you know Amazon can be a great place to grocery shop on a budget? Amazon is an overlooked source of savings. For years, I have bought my toilet paper, baby wipes and various other toiletries at Amazon at prices that beat my local grocery store sales.

Amazon is a good source of savings for toiletries and household products, but they do sell a variety of food as well. You need to be selective to find the best deals at Amazon. If you stack Amazon coupons with their Subscribe and Save program, you can get some great deals from the comfort of your couch!

There are 12 of the best budget grocery stores in the United States in I hope you find this list helpful, and it gives you some ideas of different places to shop to stretch your grocery budget. I would love to know — what do you think is the best place to grocery shop on a budget?

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